Super Bowl, 'Idol' boost WTTE in latest 'sweeps'

The writers strike changed the TV landscape during the Nielsen "sweeps" in February but had little effect on local ratings.

The writers strike changed the TV landscape during the Nielsen "sweeps" in February but had little effect on local ratings.

Stations relied on sports, reality and other nonfiction programming to fill prime-time hours.

Fox affiliate WTTE-TV (Channel 28) cashed in with American Idol and the Super Bowl, outdistancing every other station in the evening.

But the winter storms of February focused attention on news, putting WBNS-TV (Channel 10) on top in most local newscasts, as it has been for several years.

The four weeks of Nielsen ratings -- surveying viewer preferences from Jan. 31 through Wednesday -- carry weight because they help set local advertising rates.

During daytime and early evening hours, WBNS -- owned by the same corporate parent as The Dispatch -- maintained the upper hand, with shows such as Dr. Phil, The Price Is Right, Oprah Winfrey, CBS soaps, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune all winning their time periods again.

In addition, CBS' Late Show With David Letterman was again the top show in late night locally -- a contrast to national ratings, in which NBC's The Tonight Show With Jay Leno was No. 1.

"We faced some real challenges in February," said WBNS News Director John Cardenas. "Our staff rose to the occasion."

There was an exception to the CBS and Channel 10 daytime dominance, with Today continuing to keep NBC affiliate WCMH-TV (Channel 4) on top from 7 to 10 a.m. weekdays.

WCMH Vice President and General Manager Rick Rogala was "thrilled" at the growth in the midday and 11 p.m. news audiences as well as the station's narrow win at 6 p.m. for the full week.

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams was also a top performer for Channel 4, edging out CBS Evening News with Katie Couric as the top network newscast locally.

Channel 28 continued to have the top-ranked 10 p.m. newscast, helped by the huge lead-in of Fox prime-time shows to easily beat the WWHO-TV (Channel 53) newscast.

tferan@dispatch.com

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